§ Sir Richard Bodyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his practice as to establishing, before appointing a candidate to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, whether he or she is or has been employed as a consultant to a company manufacturing pesticides or engaged by such a company to undertake research.
§ Mrs. FennerOur first concern when considering candidates for appointment to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides is to establish whether, with their particular expertise and experience, they would be able to make a worthwhile contribution to the committee's work.
Although past commercial connections of prospective candidates are taken into account, the existence of such connections would not necessarily prevent us from appointing an individual. It is of course a condition of appointment to the committee that prospective members sign a declaration of their present independence from all commercial interests.